Strike and Protests Erupt in Israel Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

Strike and Protests in Israel Amid Gaza Conflict

On Monday, Israel’s largest trade union launched a strike, igniting one of the most significant waves of anti-government protests since the onset of the war in Gaza. This major labor group aimed to pressure the government into quickly agreeing to a cease-fire. However, within a matter of hours, the strike lost momentum as the union, which represents approximately 800,000 Israelis, complied with a court order mandating the end of the strike. The day culminated in a resolute speech from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who firmly rejected any compromises in negotiations with Hamas, implicitly criticizing the protesters for jeopardizing Israel’s social unity.

Despite witnessing one of the largest expressions of dissent during wartime in Israel’s history, this emotionally charged moment did not translate into a significant political shift. Ariel Kahana, a commentator for the prominent right-leaning newspaper Israel Hayom, remarked, “Politically, it could have been much worse for Netanyahu. It appears that the opposition has faltered.”

While the strike led to the disruption of services in thousands of schools and various municipalities, along with impacts on transport networks and hospitals, the response was mixed. Some sectors only experienced limited effects, as many municipal authorities and institutions opted out of the strike.

In stark contrast to March 2023, when a general strike and mass protests compelled Netanyahu to pause a controversial judicial overhaul plan, his right-wing party demonstrated remarkable public unity throughout the ongoing conflict. The only notable dissent came from Yoav Gallant, the defense minister, who was the sole member of the cabinet to oppose a recent motion aimed at restricting the conditions under which Israel might agree to a cease-fire. Few, if any, other senior officials from Netanyahu’s Likud party have publicly deviated from this unified stance.